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<title>I Wish We'd Met Before They Convinced You Life Is War by SeraDomiCher</title>
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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22535491">I Wish We'd Met Before They Convinced You Life Is War</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SeraDomiCher/pseuds/SeraDomiCher'>SeraDomiCher</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Blood, Execution, Gen, Spoilers For End Of Part 1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 13:09:30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>419</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22535491</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SeraDomiCher/pseuds/SeraDomiCher</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Nothing goes according to plan in the Tomb.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Edelgard von Hresvelg &amp; My Unit | Byleth</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Those Who Drabble in the Dark</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>I Wish We'd Met Before They Convinced You Life Is War</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
“Edelgard?”
</p><p>
The cold ceramic mask seemed to turn to cinder-block in Byleths hand. She let it fall, hearing it shatter against the stone floor. Her eyes were locked on Edelgards own.
</p><p>
Byleth stood up and took a couple shaky steps back. “No,” she muttered barely above her breath. “No, it can’t be you.”
</p><p>
“Do you not trust your own eyes, Professor?” Edelgard said, as if nothing was wrong.
</p><p>
Rhea replied in Byleth’s place from behind her. “Edelgard von Hresvelg,” she yelled, her rage causing her voice to quiver. “You have worked against the church in manner and in action, promoted others to do the same at the expense of their eternal soul, and led enemy forces into the Goddess’ most sacred place. What say you in your defense?”
</p><p>
Edelgard kept her mouth shut. Byleth wanted to scream at her, to force her to say something in her own defense, so she wouldn’t have to carry out her sentence.
</p><p>
“Then your life is forfeit.” Rhea stepped into Byleth’s field of vision, not trying to hide her flushed face and trembling hands. “By the power vested in me by the Goddess, Sothis, I, Rhea, Archbishop of the Church of Seiros, sentence you to death.” She turned and looked Byleth in the eyes.
</p><p>
Understanding tore through Byleth’s heart like a spear. Her arm gripped her sword and shakily removed it from its sheath. It held the sword up between Edelgards eyes. Not once did her gaze shift from Byleths own, and not once did fear enter her eyes, even as Death raised its scythe.
</p><p>
“If you do not have the heart to do what must be done, then put your sword down and I shall do it myself,” Rhea said, lightning crackling in her hand. 
</p><p>
Byleth’s grip on her sword tightened, preparing for the inevitable. “Don’t make us do this,” she pleaded. “Please.”
</p><p>
Edelgard didn’t respond.
</p><p>
Byleth squeezed her eyelids shut, and squeezed her sword grip harder. The sword extended itself at lightning speed, breaking through Edelgards skull and severing her brainstem, killing her instantly. 
</p><p>
She could feel Edelgards blood as it splashed on her face. Loosening her grip, Byleth retracted the sword and let Edelgard’s limp body fall against her torso. She removed the helmet as best she could with her shaky hands, revealing another slit at the back of her head where the tip of the sword had exited and stopped against the helmet. 
</p><p>
The next thing Byleth knew, she was crying into the shoulder she used to call Edelgards. 
</p>
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